1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food distribution system for passenger airplanes and more particularly pertains to a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes for allowing flight attendants to more easily and safely serve food and beverages on an airplane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a food distribution system for passenger airplanes is known in the prior art. More specifically, food distribution system for passenger airplanes heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,994; U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,086; U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,199; U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,890; U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,176; U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,515; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,630.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes. The inventive device includes a track being adapted to securely attach to and extend along a ceiling of an airplane above an aisle; and also includes a cabinet support assembly being movably suspended from the track; and further includes a cabinet assembly including a cabinet being attached to the cabinet support assembly; and also includes a drive and control assembly being attached to the cabinet support assembly and to the cabinet assembly for moving the cabinet up and down and along the track either manually or electronically.
In these respects, the food storage and distribution system for airplanes according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing flight attendants to more easily and safely serve food and beverages on an airplane.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of food distribution system for passenger airplanes now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing flight attendants to more easily and safely serve food and beverages on an airplane.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which has many of the advantages of the food distribution system for passenger airplanes mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art food distribution system for passenger aircrafts, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a track being adapted to securely attach to and extend along a ceiling of an airplane above an aisle; and also includes a cabinet support assembly being movably suspended from the track; and further includes a cabinet assembly including a cabinet being attached to the cabinet support assembly; and also includes a drive and control assembly being attached to t-he cabinet support assembly and to the cabinet assembly for moving the cabinet up and down and along the track.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which has many of the advantages of the food distribution system for passenger airplanes mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art food distribution system for passenger airplanes, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such food storage and distribution system for airplanes economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes for allowing flight attendants to more easily and safely serve food and beverages on an airplane.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes which includes a track being adapted to securely attach to and extend along a ceiling of an airplane above an aisle; and also includes a cabinet. support assembly being movably suspended from the track; and further includes a cabinet assembly including a cabinet being attached to the cabinet support assembly; and also includes a drive and control assembly being attached to the cabinet support assembly and to the cabinet assembly for moving the cabinet up and down and along the track either manually or electronically.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes that eliminates the user having to push a food and beverage cart up and down the aisles.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new food storage and distribution system for airplanes that allows the flight attendants to distribute the food and beverages to the passengers more quickly and is safer than using the food and beverage carts.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.